At last Monday night’s NI Design Alliance event, The Design Question, we explored three broad themes. The first one was, “How the hell do I break into the design business?” and that’s the one I’m going to respond to here. I think it’s probably fair to say that although we were in that room for three hours, it was still not enough time to explore thoroughly all the themes; I imagine I’m not alone in coming away with further thoughts on the subjects.
I’d also like to point out that what follows is unashamedly written from a graphic designers perspective. What can I say? That’s what I am. If you fall into another creative area (product, architecture, photography, fashion, other) and see things differently, please accept my apology now. But also, tell us what you think. Have your say.
The NI Design Alliance has just launched (Jan ’11) a Design Competition for 2nd year Visual Communications students at the University of Ulster, with 6 local design companies participating as mentors. The aim of the competition is to help students develop their professional design skills and for local designers to shape what they are learning. Liam Mccomish shares his thoughts on this project and the relationship between the profession and the student.
In theory making your clients happy and keeping them that way shouldn’t be all that difficult. After all, the whole point of being a designer is having an innate ability to see things from someone else’s perspective. Empathy, emotional intelligence, perceptiveness – aren’t these the defining skills of the designer?
It’s the million-dollar question: How do you win new business? I don’t need to tell you that there is no easy answer. As with recruiting new staff, the reputation and image of your business will be the foundation stone of any attempt to find new clients. Specialising can help massively. Being able to define your particular area of expertise (and it be tightly focused) and expressing it to the right people (who need your tightly focused expertise) will help. And, like for the designer looking for his or her new post, a good portfolio, with a specialised, single-minded ethic will connect better with like-minded potential clients.
Today products, services and built environments surround us, all attracting our attention, altering our lifestyles and influencing our commercial choices. Designers are trained professionals with the skills and experience, to connect companies and organisations with consumers and markets. Designers solve problems employing innovative processes and thinking, that can create new products and services for companies and organisations. Design is also fundamental to innovation within organisations and can link technology and consumers, creating compelling economic advantages for business.
There are many ways to find and commission a designer but the process can take time. Before you begin, it is useful to write down exactly the type of project you are considering, reasons for it, and the budget you have identified with proposed timescale. Share this information with other management colleagues and encourage their input. It is important at this stage in the selection, that everyone feels part of the decision-making, as they may well have to work closely with the designer as part of the creative process in the future.
One of the great things about being a designer is that every day is different. Working as a designer involves creativity, project management, teamwork, problem solving, meeting deadlines and the ability to work with a diversity of clients.
As a client, writing a brief is a sound beginning for any design commission and clarifies the purpose of the project. A brief should outline the aims and objectives of the proposed design work, the budget and timescale. If you are working with a new designer on a first project, it should also include information about the company or organisation.
Shoes. In his seminal book, How to Keep Running a Successful Design Company, Marcello Minale confessed to always checking out a designer’s shoes during interviews. Marcello felt that any designer worth his or her salt would choose their footwear carefully. Everyone needs a system that works for them but finding the right one for you can be tricky.
I recently asked the head of a local design studio how he keeps his designers happy and he quickly said, “by just leaving them alone”. In my experience, designers (good designers) are independent spirits that don’t work well shackled. Most designers will express a desire for the freedom to explore creative expression. It’s also true to say that most designers respond very, very badly to being restricted, dictated to and controlled.
This is the Articles section.
Where designers and clients can share their thoughts on the role of design. Please let us know if you’d like to contribute an article.
More Articles
- In support of the middle
- Design Education: the profession and the student
- How to keep your clients happy?
- How to win new business?
- What is a designer?
- How to hire a designer?
- Interested in a career in design – where do you start?
- How to write a good brief?
- How to recruit a designer?
- How to keep your designers happy?
- National Occupation Standards for Design
